Negotiation panel asked to expedite report on Rafale deal: Manohar Parrikar

Bengaluru, Feb 18: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said he has asked the Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) to submit by last week of February or early March a detailed report on the multi-billion-dollar deal to buy Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation of France.

"I have asked for the report and I have not received it and I would not like to comment until the CNC gives me a detailed report on whatever they have agreed," he told reporters on the sidelines of the

air show here.

Parrikar said there is no "premature indication" to CNC, but he had ensured that it expedites the process of submitting the report by last week of February or first week of March.

"There is no premature indication to CNC. Let them complete their process. I can only assure you that I have told them to do it faster. I will ensure that they put it to me faster - at least in last week of February or first week of March," Parrikar added.

The Defence Minister also said "since it is a deal under processing, I am not commenting more on it because anything which I say will prejudice the body which is dealing with it."

The negotiations on Rafale fighter jet deal have run into rough weather recently, leading to delay in finalisation of the contract for supply of 126 fighter planes.

India, which wants strict compliance with the terms of the Request for Proposal (RFP), has made it clear that the ball is in France's court on the signing of the contract.

India is insisting that Dassault Aviation, which manufactures Rafale, cannot renege on the Request for Proposal (RFP) clauses, which it had initially agreed to.

India says France must stick to the price that it had quoted in the RFP and guarantee clause under which Dassault has to stand guarantee for the planes that would be manufactured by state-owned HAL.

PTI